1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing devices and information processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Game devices provided with communication facilities are widely used, allowing multiple users to enjoy a chat or an online game. Also, game programs are often installed in personal computers instead of devices designed especially for games. It is quite common for multiple users to enjoy an online game using personal computers.
Electronic appliances such as mobile game devices and personal digital assistants (PDA) have also been widely used. Recently, multiple-function electronic appliances such as smartphones, in which functions of a cell phone and a PDA are integrated, have become available. These electronic appliances are provided with a large-capacity memory and a high-speed processor and allow multiple users to chat or play an online game by downloading and installing an application program.
[patent document No. 1] U.S. Pat. No. 7,558,820
In order to synchronize the execution of the same application between multiple users, it is necessary to create a session of the application and to cause multiple users to participate in the session. Where users join each other to play a game, a session may be created through talks among the users so that each user can participate in the created session. If the users are in remote locations, they cannot see each other's situation with their own eyes. There is called for development of a user interface that allows users to see each other's situation easily.
It has also become possible for a single user to use a plurality of terminals so that each terminal can connect to (sign in) a game server using a user account that uniquely identifies the user in the game system. For example, a single user may have a desktop game console and a mobile game device and connect the console and the device to the game server on a network. When another user checks the status of the single user who has activated a plurality of terminals (for example, the console and the device), if information on all terminals of the single user is presented to the another user, it seems to be less easy for the another user to check the status of the single user because of the fair amount of the presented information. Therefore, there is called for development of user interface capable of presenting user status efficiently.